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Slow Recovery For Sea Bright Businesses

By Phil Gregory, WBGO News
Sea Bright. July 11, 2013

Bain's Hardware is one of the Sea Bright stores that have reopened (photo by Phil Gregory)

Business is slowly starting to recover in one Jersey Shore town where Sandy caused a lot of flooding.

Every business on Ocean Avenue in Sea Bright was damaged by the storm surge.

About half of them are still closed.

Frank Bain owns Bain’s Hardware. He’s open again after Sandy pushed four feet of water in the store, and he lost all the merchandise.

“I had contents insurance and when you have contents insurance and it’s a flood it doesn’t do anything. It’s a tremendous struggle but I believe you have to control your own destiny. Business is very steady. Of all the things we lost during the storm we did not lose a customer.”

Woody’s Ocean Grill was one of the first places to reopen. Co-owner Chris Wood says business is good.

“We were closed for three months and you’re seeing eight months later a few businesses starting to reopen and there’s still many businesses to go. It’s just a long process. We welcome more businesses, and we hope to see them soon.”

Jake O’Donnell is opening a new surf shop and is optimistic about it.

“I have no trepidations at all. I kind of try to see negatives as a positive. Even though a lot of the businesses aren’t open, I want to be that one business that is open so everyone has somewhere to go.”

After seven feet of water destroyed the contents of his previous location two blocks away, Brian George has reopened his North Shore clothing store on Ocean Avenue. He’s also optimistic about the future.

“Our business has been solid. Now we’re in an area where the business expands a little because Sea Bright is a destination because of the beach. You know the beach hurt us a little, the ocean hurt us, but it’s also our greatest asset.”

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